With clear language, engaging stories, words of wisdom from the scholars, and probing questions, David R. Smith strips away any possible confusion about Christianity and brings us right to the heart of our faith. Christianity. . .It’s Like This gives anyone who wants to follow Jesus a tremendous blueprint. Brand-new disciples and long-term disciple makers will both find great help here. —Max A. Wilkins President/CEO, The Mission Society
In a world where young people aren’t afraid to ask the big questions, we need to be able to provide big answers. David R. Smith’s Christianity. . .It’s Like This delivers the answers simply, relevantly, and convincingly. . . . His book is an amazing discipleship resource for a searching generation. —Jonathan McKee Author of The Big Deal about Sex, Get Your Teenager Talking, and The Guy’s Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket
David was my youth pastor and helped guide me into ministry. He’s a legendary communicator, and I’m so glad he’s written this book. Now, many others will have access to the Christian faith through easy-to-understand ideas. This book is a must-have for your LifeGroup or Bible study! —Brian Westlund Worship Pastor, LifeChurch
It has been my experience for many years that one of the greatest gifts you can give a student is a sweet taste of scripture. Christianity. . .It’s Like This by David R. Smith is written with the same desire, to have an excellent use of apologetics and sound biblical principles. It also manages to be very devotional. I believe this book will be a great tool for those who want to equip their students to take their lives to the next level. —Dr. Jay Strack President and Founder of Student Leadership University
David R. Smith shows the unique and God-given ability to communicate the Gospel and biblical principles in a clear, effective manner. David cuts to the core of who we are as Christians and who we can be through Christ. —Kerry Klecic FOX 13 (WTVT)
Having heard David speak many times, I can confidently say he knows how to connect with real people and deliver a message that’s both relevant and theologically sound. In the pages of Christianity. . .It’s Like This, readers will experience David’s unique ability to deliver highconcept truths in bite-size pieces. —Carmen Brown The Morning Cruise || The JOY FM
This remarkable young pastor has a gift for pointing others to Jesus in accurate, but simple, terms. Sound and straightforward, Christianity. . . It’s Like This is a much-needed book that can be used to reach those without faith and help those with it to grow. David has given us an incredible tool, and I strongly recommend we use it. —Dr. Charles Roesel Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church of Leesburg Ambassador to the North American Mission Board Author of It’s a God Thing
David R. Smith’s passion for pointing others to Christ and teaching them God’s Word both come through in his latest book. Christianity. . . It’s Like This offers pastors, teachers, and church leaders a powerful tool to help others understand biblical truth. Smith’s use of gripping stories and simple explanations will help others harness a deeper understanding of God’s Word. Do your small groups a favor and get this book! —Paul Alonso Senior Pastor, Wahoo Baptist Church
Acknowledging that the language of the church has sometimes proven confusing, David R. Smith develops biblical themes in Christianity. . . It’s Like This that anyone can readily comprehend. His ultimate goal is to show how the Gospel can transform lives, but David also issues a challenge to church leaders, reminding us to be sensitive in communicating our world-changing truth. —Dr. Donald Minshew Executive Director, Gulf Stream Baptist Association
To everyone ascending Mars Hill, He need not remain unknown. Acts 17:23
© 2015 by David R. Smith Print ISBN 978-1-63058-689-8 eBook Editions: Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63409-192-3 Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63409-193-0 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher. Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Barbour Publishing, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words or 5 percent of the entire book, whichever is less, and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “From Christianity. . .It’s Like This, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.” Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. niv®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Published by Shiloh Run Press, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses. Member of the
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
Printed in the United States of America.
Contents Introduction ...................................................................... 9 It’s Like This. . . 1. God............................................................................. 13 W hat is He like (if He even exists)? 2. The Bible..................................................................... 37 Can it really be trusted? 3. Jesus............................................................................ 63 W hat makes Him so special? 4. The Holy Spirit........................................................... 89 Why does everyone think He’s so weird? 5. Sin and Salvation...................................................... 121 Which do you want first, the Good News. . .or the bad news? 6. The Church............................................................... 149 Do I really have to go? 7. Heaven and Hell....................................................... 183 What happens when we die? 8. Discipleship............................................................... 213 Can Christianity (really) change my life? Endnotes ...................................................................... 245 About the Author.......................................................... 247
It’s Like This. . .
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e were still drinking our first Cokes at a pizza joint one Sunday night in Miami when Jordan, one of my high school seniors, shook his head in frustration. “I just don’t get it. Some of the stuff that guy said confused me. . .and some of it freaked me out!” “That guy” was a Christian pastor. Even as a pastor myself, I had thought it was a rather unusual message. The speaker went on and on for almost an hour and used every seventeen-syllable word he knew associated with Christianity. Incarnation. Justification. Sanctification. Reconciliation. For Jordan, it just led to a lot of perspiration. Everything the guy said was important, but the way he explained it didn’t help Jordan understand it. My young friend finally looked at me and asked, “What does it all mean?” I took a deep breath, and said, “Jordan, it’s like this. . .” Starting at the beginning, and using words Jordan could understand, I walked him back through the speaker’s (long) message. When I finished (somewhere in the middle of my third refill), I looked Jordan in the eye and asked him if he finally understood. He said he did and then asked one last question. 11
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“Why didn’t the speaker just say that?” To be honest, I didn’t know. Like Jordan, you may have important questions about life and faith that need answering, but you know you can’t trust everything you find on a Google search. And books about Christian theology—average weight, seventy-three pounds—offer little more than vocabulary training. Jesus’ substitutionary death offers atonement for our transgressions. The hypostatic union of the Incarnation is the most accurate Christology. Instead of getting answers, you probably just get a headache. It happened to Jordan; it could happen to anyone. Like the fat grams in the pizza and the sugar calories in the Coke, that conversation stuck with me. Jordan’s confusion prompted me to reflect on the simplicity of Jesus’ message. When He taught people, He used words, phrases, and ideas that people understood. Take a look for yourself: • What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed. (Luke 13:18–19) • The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. (Matthew 13:44) • The kingdom of heaven is like a net. (Matthew 13:47) Over and over, Jesus employed simple expressions to teach people. Granted, they might not have liked what they heard, but they usually understood what Jesus said. When Jesus discussed something beyond our understanding—for example, the kingdom of heaven—He began by saying, “It’s like this,” and then used something from people’s daily lives, something they already 12
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understood, to make His point. Brilliant! Too many Christians do the exact opposite; they use complex expressions to convey simple truths about Jesus. This book is for every “Jordan” who wants to know more about God, faith, the Bible, or life in general. We’ll talk about Christianity “in plain English” because when Jesus spoke, it was in plain English, right? (Okay, technically, it was in Aramaic—but it was plain Aramaic!) But plain doesn’t mean powerless. A “diluted” version of Christianity won’t answer your big questions. So, we’ll skip over the tricks and get right to the truth. Every chapter in this book focuses on one key element of Christianity but comes in two parts. The first part discusses the subject in simple—but detailed—terms, offering a mix of everyday examples and technical explanations (called Scholar’s Sidebars) for those who want it. The second part of each chapter, called Sessions, offers you the opportunity to explore the subject in greater depth by answering thought-provoking questions about a Bible passage on the topic. In these Sessions, we’ll share even more illustrations and examples, from the website that led to the creation of this book: www.ItsLikeThis.org. Though the Sessions can be completed individually, I strongly encourage you to work through them with a group of friends. The power of group study leads to personal growth like nothing else in the world. Some people think Christianity is confusing; some believe it’s just a list of mundane rules; and some even dismiss it as an ancient and useless religion. But Christianity isn’t any of those things. It’s like this. . . 13
1 God What is He like (if He even exists?)
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hen I think about God, I usually think about aliens. Let me explain. Even though the 1996 movie Independence Day, starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and several other terrific actors, is a little bit old, it’s still one of my all-time favorites. The gist of the movie is that aliens invade Earth on July 2, with plans to destroy humanity. By July 4, the date on which America declared its initial independence from England, we must fight for it once again. . .but this time from aliens. Oh yeah. . .it’s on! Granted, Hollywood has made a lot of alien movies, and some have better CGI than Independence Day, but when Captain Hiller (Will Smith) opens up the alien spaceship he shot down, punches the alien in the face, and says, “Welcome to Earth!” it’s a moment of pure, red-blooded, Grade-A testosterone. Of course, when Captain Wilder (Harry Connick 15
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Jr.) says, “Let’s kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy!” I’ve never wanted to own an F/A-18 Hornet so badly in my life. Like every other alien movie produced by Hollywood, Independence Day revolves around two basic questions: Do aliens exist? If so, what are they like? Every sci-fi flick answers those questions in its own way. Sometimes the aliens are green, sometimes they’re red, and sometimes they even look like us. Sometimes the aliens are good and sometimes they’re bad. But the same two questions are at the heart of every alien movie. I think most people ponder the exact same questions about God: Does He exist? If so, what is He like? Now do you see why I think of aliens when I think of God? Maybe you’ve never answered those two questions about God. Maybe you’ve never even gotten to the second question because you doubt the answer to the first one. That’s fair. Seriously. After all, these are the two biggest questions in life. But there’s a definitive answer for both of those questions.
That Big Spaceship in the Sky Though I do not believe in the existence of aliens, I should probably go on record and say that I believe in the existence of God. There are lots of good reasons for both beliefs. 16
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First, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a flying saucer; I’ve never been abducted by aliens for weird experiments (like the guy from Independence Day); nor have I come across any compelling evidence for their existence. In no way has my life—or anybody’s that I know—been affected by visitors from another planet. In fact, I’m much more worried about my home being invaded by termites than Martians. But when I look at the world around me, at the people who share it with me, and even into the recesses of my own heart, I come to a completely different conclusion about God. Every single human being who has ever lived has wondered whether or not God is real. I’ve done it. You’ve done it. We’ve all done it. Answering that question is at the center of our existence as humans. Think about it: squirrels aren’t concerned about the existence of God, or the next thousand years, or who will win the Super Bowl. They only care about their next acorn. We’re the only life form that wonders if there’s something—or someone—out there. . . . Throughout history, billions of people have wondered whether there’s a good reason to believe that God exists. My answer is, “No, there’s not one good reason to believe God exists. . .there are lots of good reasons to believe He exists.” Let’s look at some of those reasons and see if, in the process, we can discover what God is like.
Reason #1 for God’s Existence: Stuff Exists Where did trees come from? Or stars? Where did we come from? We might answer that last question by saying, “From our 17
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parents,” but then we The Cosmological instantly have another Argument for the question on our hands: Existence of God “Well, where did they come from?” We’d proYes, it’s a long name, but that’s what this idea is called. Fortunately, bably think, “From our the concept is quite basic; it goes grandparents,” but then like this: we’re faced with the same 1. If something exists, it had to question all over again: have a cause. “But where did they come 2. The universe exists. 3. Therefore, the universe had from?” If you’re patient a cause. enough, I suppose you That “cause” was God, or what some could ask that question philosophers call the Prime Mover all the way back—past (or First Mover). If a creation exists, George Washington, past a Creator must also exist. Moses, and past Noah— to Adam and Eve. But then, there’s one nagging question remaining: “Yeah, but where did Adam and Eve come from?” The same question applies to everything we see, not just humanity. How did the galaxies come to be? Where did dinosaurs come from? How did we get gravity, light, and energy? According to many brilliant thinkers, the answer to those questions is God. Think about it like this. A cake has to have a baker, right? Doesn’t a building have to have a builder? How about a book? It needs a writer. Likewise, a creation (like our universe) must have a Creator. Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, summed up our reality like this: “Something obviously exists now, and 18
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something never sprang from nothing.” Good point, Epicurus. Look around the room you’re sitting in. See that cup on the table? How did it get there? Didn’t someone have to put it there? What about the chair you’re sitting in? Somebody had to build it. What about your clothes? (I trust you’re wearing clothes. . . . If you’re reading this naked, I insist that you go and put on some pants!) Didn’t someone have to make your clothes? Of course! Everything that exists in this universe came from something. And lots of people have lots of reasons to believe the “something” is God. And why not? The opening line of the most unique book on the planet says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). From before time began, God was hard at work creating life in what we now know as the universe. But it gets even more interesting when we look at the sort of universe we live in. . . .
Reason #2 for God’s Existence: The Uniqueness of Our Design Think about these facts for a moment: • Earth is located in what scientists call “the habitable zone,” an orbit that is the perfect distance from the sun to ensure that our planet is neither too hot nor too cold. • Earth is the only known planet that has water in liquid form. 19
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• Earth has the perfect balance of water and land. • Earth has an atmosphere that shields its inhabitants from dangerous radiation and (most) of the debris flying through space. • Earth has one moon—of perfect size and proximity—which ensures life-giving tides for the creatures of the seas. We could go on and on. We haven’t even mentioned the importance of the 23.5° tilt of Earth’s axis. In short, it seems obvious that Earth was carefully designed to sustain life. When you start thinking about it, Earth is pretty special. Scientists stand in awe when looking at the universe, just like any of us would stand in awe when looking at the Great Pyramids or the Taj Mahal or the Golden Gate Bridge. . .or a perfectly crafted double bacon The Teleological cheeseburger. Argument for the SIt’s even more stunning Existence of God when we think about ourselves. Consider the fact Sometimes, this argument is simply referred to as Design Theory that no two humans have because of the precise design our the same exact fingerprint world seems to have. Telos is the or DNA. Think about how Greek word for “purpose” and hints at the possibility that God intricate the human eye is had a really important purpose for or how powerful the human Earth. . .providing a home for us! brain is. We carry the Without a doubt, our planet is completely unique in comparison trademarks of a wonderful to the billions of other planets in design, and a design calls countless other galaxies floating through space. for a designer, does it not? 20
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As the incredibly intelligent French philosopher Voltaire once said, “If a watch proves the existence of a watchmaker but the universe does not prove the existence of a great Architect, then I consent to be called a fool.” Piggybacking on that thought, William Paley, a Christian who lived and worked during the eighteenth century, put it like this: “If I’m walking through a field and stub my toe on a rock and someone asks me how the rock got there, I’d probably say that it had been there forever. But if I’m walking through the same field and stumble upon a watch, it would be silly to think that it had been there forever. Somebody had to build the watch. In other words, there had to be a watchmaker.” If we were to find an iPhone in a forest, it would be really foolish to think it had been there all along and had no purpose for existing. You’d know that the delicate touchscreen, the powerful computer, the rechargeable battery, and a hundred other brilliant parts were intentionally put together by someone for the purpose of making phone calls. . .and playing Flappy Bird. There’d be no doubt in your mind that someone had intricately designed that iPhone. If we can look at a watch or a smartphone and believe there was a maker, why shouldn’t we look at a special creation that includes photosynthesis, gamma bursts, supernovas, and tons of other cool features, and believe there’s a special Creator? A fantastic creation must mean there’s a fantastic Creator nearby. That seems to be what the prophet Isaiah had in mind: For this is what the Lord says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and 21
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made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:18) These first two reasons only hint at God’s existence. Let’s look at one more reason for His existence that also gives us a few clues as to what He’s like.
Reason #3 for God’s Existence: The Reality of Good and Evil You may not know it, but C. S. Lewis, the world-famous author who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, was actually a devout Christian. But interestingly, he became a Christian after many years as a hard-core atheist. When he finally became a believer, Lewis gave the world one of the best reasons for God’s existence, and it goes right back to the rule our moms gave us for playing in the sand box together: play nice. Okay, that’s a little bit of an oversimplification, but it does set the right tone. Lewis looked out at the world in which he lived—which had recently been ravaged by two world wars—and came to the conclusion that it was cruel and unjust. Millions of innocent people had been murdered, children had been orphaned, and entire families were now extinct. That made it easy for Lewis to believe that God didn’t exist. But then he had a disturbing thought: Where had he gotten the concepts of “cruel” and “unjust”? How did he know a person (or action) was cruel unless he had a loving person 22
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(or loving action) to compare it to? In other words, he had to know what a “straight” line looked like to be able to label another line “crooked.” Lewis then realized that he must come to terms with a simple fact: all people have The Moral Argument an understanding of right for the Existence and wrong and the difference of God between them. For instance, This argument not only points everybody on the planet knows to God’s existence but also to that lying, cheating, stealing, His character. The bottom line is simple: if God does not exist, and murdering are wrong (even then everything is relative and if they do them). Likewise, the concept of right (good) and wrong (evil) does not exist. everybody also knows that But because right and wrong honesty, sharing, helping, and exist, God must exist. A perfect giving are good (even if they God would make sure that His creatures know the difference don’t do them). We humans between good and evil, and have an innate understanding He would also want them to of good and evil because God choose good instead of evil. The God of the Bible has has revealed it to us. done this. Not only did God outline His expectations for our lives in the Ten Commandments, a list of moral standards that even children understand, He actually went a step further and embedded that moral code within us. Through the prophet Jeremiah He said it this way: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” ( Jeremiah 31:33). This not only reinforces the fact that God exists, but it tells us what kind of God He is. The God of the Bible seems very concerned 23
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that His people know the difference between good and evil, and He seems equally concerned that His people choose good over evil. So far, God appears to be a highly intelligent Creator who has designed an intricate and properly functioning universe. This shows His fondness for order and purpose. He also seems to be highly interested in His creation—especially in us, who are created in His image—to the point that He would engage us with His words so we might know how to live. This proves He cares about us and is dedicated to character, integrity, and justice. So much more could be said about God, His existence, and His character, but we’ll discover even more about Him in chapters 3 and 4. Let’s close this chapter by looking at the Bible’s defining attribute of God so we can best know what He’s like.
The Bible’s Take on God You may be surprised to learn that the Bible doesn’t try to prove God’s existence. Of course, the Bible has a lot—I mean a lot!—to say about God, but nowhere does it try to prove that He exists. That’s because, from the very beginning (in Genesis) to the very end (in Revelation), we see God highly involved in the lives of the people He created. Whether He’s talking with them, performing miracles for them, teaching them truth, saving them from their sins, or overcoming evil on their behalf, God’s presence is evident. Most people in the Bible had little difficulty believing that He exists. His existence is assumed! 24
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In fact, according to Psalm 14:1, you’d have to be a fool not to believe it: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ” Fool is a strong word, but it’s one that God feels fits the bill. After all, a certain amount of mental silliness is required to completely dismiss the rationale for God’s existence outlined in the arguments above. By the Bible’s standard, the late Christopher Hitchens, though very well educated, was a fool. During his lifetime, “Hitch” published several books denying the existence of God and the legitimacy of (any) faith. His unique, and somewhat comical, theories—which attracted a large following— dismissed altogether the possibility of an afterlife. Not only did he strike at the core of religion, he sometimes did so in an inflammatory manner. Whether it was one of his columns, articles, speeches, or books, everyone knew which side of the fence Hitch was on when it came to God. In 2007, he even published a book that bore the title of his personal mantra, God Is Not Great. Hitchens did anything he could to convince others of his opinion. In a famous debate at American Jewish University in early 2011, the world-renowned atheist squared off against Sam Harris and rabbis David Wolpe and Bradley Artson on the subject of death and the afterlife. Hitchens jokingly said, “It will happen to all of us, that at some point you’ll be tapped on the shoulder and told, not just that the party is over, but slightly worse: the party’s going on but you have to leave. And it’s going on without you.” The crowd laughed at his clever remark about death, and 25